A brief history of LGBTQ+ rights in the UK

To provide context, during the reign of Queen Victoria from 1819 to 1901, any form of sexual activity other than heterosexuality was punishable by death. Although the death penalty was eventually removed, the laws against homosexuality were made stricter during Victoria’s reign. It was not until 1967, after a 17-year struggle, that homosexuality between men was legalised in private for those over the age of 21 in England and Wales. Lesbianism was left completely unaddressed at that time. Scotland and Northern Ireland followed suit only in the early 1980s.

In the armed forces, both homosexuality and lesbianism were completely banned until 12 January 2000. The ban was lifted only after a lengthy battle with the European Court of Human Rights. Prior to that date, serving personnel could be dismissed or imprisoned if any form of homosexuality or lesbianism was suspected. Many former service members are still fighting to have their good names and entitlements reinstated.

In May 1988, the Conservative government, led by Margaret Thatcher, enacted Section 28 of the Local Government Act. This legislation marked a setback in the ongoing fight for equality, equity, and inclusion. Section 28 prohibited local authorities from promoting or teaching about homosexuality, publishing resources on the subject, or recognising homosexuality as a legitimate form of family relationship. It also banned councils from funding educational materials and projects perceived as promoting homosexuality.

By preventing discussions about LGBT issues, this law hindered students and young people from receiving the support they needed. Although Section 28 was repealed by governments in Scotland in 2000 and in the rest of the UK in 2003, it was not until 2009 that the future Prime Minister David Cameron issued an apology for the legislation. Whilst Section 28 was law, the age of consent for homosexuality was dropped to 18 years old in 1994 across the whole of the UK. It took until 2000 for the age of consent for homosexuality to be aligned with the heterosexual age of consent in England, Scotland and Wales. In 2008 Northern Ireland came into alignment with the rest of the UK.

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